From what I've seen, children enter the world with the innate curiosity that is the hallmark of success in STEM careers. That curiosity is often dampened or destroyed by the rote memorization that occurs in many classes, but I was fortunate enough to have numerous teachers through the years who supported my interest in the scientific method and who encouraged me to pursue a career in science or math. I still fondly remember many of those teachers who made a difference in my high school classes, but perhaps none were more influential than Mrs. Rawls, my 9th grade biology teacher and Envirothon coach. Her love of the natural world and amazing gift of teaching sparked my interest in even the most mundane of subjects (e.g., the dreaded leaf collection).
In pursuing my degrees (BS, MS, and PhD) in chemical engineering, I again learned from many professors who had a passion for their subjects and for helping me stay in engineering. I saw how science and math careers can lead to advances in medical treatment (tissue engineering and lab-on-a-chip diagnostics), improvements in energy sources (biomass to ethanol processes), and saving human lives (the Engineers Without Borders group that began at my graduate school, the University of Colorado at Boulder). I tutored students in math, led outreach activities and taught a summer class in biotechnology, all of which honed my leadership skills, skills that are crucial to any career.
In my current role at GSK, I scale up the chemical processes and unit operations that are used to make our active ingredients and the products (e.g., tablets, capsules) in which they're used. My engineering background helps me make rational decisions about how to run these processes in the safest, most efficient ways. I feel energized knowing that the products I develop can make a difference in the lives of so many people all over the world. How many people can come home from a day at work knowing that what they do every day will one day lead to one more child staying healthy enough to attend school, one more parent there to see her son graduate from high school, one more life saved? Science and math are integral (pun intended) to my ability to develop these life-changing medicines.
There's a common misconception that STEM careers are full of anti-social nerds who are only focused on the technology and not the people. My career to date has taught me otherwise. I work with an overwhelming number of smart, passionate, caring individuals for whom STEM is their way of making the world a better place.
Has math and/or science knowledge contributed to my success? The answer to that question is a resounding YES! I hope that what I've written here can help sway at least a few more students into understanding that pursuing a STEM career is an ideal way to make a difference in the world while making a better life for themselves.
